Weston-super-Mare AFC has reached a significant milestone with the approval of plans to redevelop the Optima Stadium, a crucial step towards upgrading the club’s facilities to host football league matches. North Somerset Council has granted permission for extensive redevelopment, aiming for completion by the end of 2027.
The club expressed enthusiasm over this development, highlighting it as a vital move to provide enhanced facilities for supporters, players, staff, and the local community. With planning permission secured, the Board of Directors plans to begin the tendering process and secure funding to advance the project.
Currently sitting second in the National League South and advancing to the second round of the FA Cup, Weston-super-Mare AFC is preparing for growth both on and off the pitch.
READ MORE: Bath Rugby Aims for Home Victory Against Sale Sharks to Keep PREM Rugby Cup Hopes Alive
READ MORE: Fallen Tree Closes Busy A-Road in Somerset in Both Directions
Chairman Oli Bliss commented, “Securing planning permission after years of effort is incredibly rewarding. This project will transform the Optima Stadium into a League Two standard ground, featuring a new restaurant, bar, and hospitality areas that will support the club’s progress. We’re grateful to CMS, our architects, and project managers for their steadfast support throughout the planning stages.”
The approved redevelopment involves demolishing the existing clubhouse, social club, changing rooms, and gym, replacing them with approximately 1,470 square meters of new football club facilities. This includes a hospitality block with a restaurant and bar, and a facilities block housing updated changing rooms, a first-floor gym, and related amenities. Additionally, outline permission for up to 99 residential units, primarily 97 apartments, on the current clubhouse car park has been granted.
The grass floodlit first-team pitch, spectator seating, and adjacent artificial training pitch will be retained. New changing rooms will be incorporated within the facilities block to meet modern standards.
New club facilities will feature changing rooms, a physio room, gym, hospitality and function rooms, along with a sports bar and restaurant open seven days a week. Together with the existing 3G all-weather pitch, these upgrades will fortify the Weston-super-Mare Sports and Social Club Limited as a vital community hub promoting healthy living, activity, and mental health support.
The current 500-seat stand is beyond repair, and its replacement is essential for league participation and for achieving League Two status. The enhanced facilities will also boost community engagement, providing better experiences for academy players, the ladies’ team, and walking football groups.
Expected growth in attendance—from the current average of 550 to possibly over 1,000 with promotion—will also support local tourism by attracting visitors, including fans from former league clubs.
The site’s sustainable urban location offers proximity to shops, employment, and retail hubs, with access to bus routes and foot/cycle ways. While North Somerset Council noted some limitations in development viability and financial contributions to affordable housing and bus service improvements, the benefits—including housing delivery and employment creation—outweigh these concerns.
Paul Rogers, Director at CMS Group, reflected, “This milestone caps nearly six years of work since the project began in 2018. We are delighted to be advancing toward delivering a modern and sustainable facility that will benefit both the club and its wider community.”
Construction is expected to begin early in 2027, with completion scheduled before the year’s end, setting the stage for Weston-super-Mare AFC’s promising future.